Pieology

Headquarters: Rancho Santa Margarita, Calif.

Founded: 2010

Slogan/motto: "Healthiest kustom pizza in the world"

Restaurants: 4

Restaurants forecast by year-end: 20

Why they're hot: Another product of better-pizza trailblazer James Markham, who also had a hand in starting Seattle's MOD Pizza (and yet another upstart, Project Pie of Las Vegas and San Diego), Pieology made Serious Eats' list of Top 10 Daily Slices list for 2012. Expansion is rapid -- six locations are in the process of opening at locales across southern California.